James With a Second Chance
by Kylie Robbins
Summary: Sonny and Tawni taught James a lesson. When he comes back, what'll happen when it seems he's actually taken it to heart? Will Sonny know better than to believe him? Or will her friends have to show her that he's still the same James? Crappy summary.....
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ho-kay all!! This is my entry for Dancing on Rainbows' "UnCliché the Clichés!" challenge!**

**I've chosen option three. Haven't really thought too far ahead as to where I'm going with this one, but I like it better that way. There's only really been one SWAC fic I've done where I've done an outline. It's fun to just come up with things as you go along. =P**

**And please, excuse the lame title. Best I could come up with...**

--

_We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you a special Tween Weekly TV Update!_

_The Producers of Condor Studios' _Hoosier Girl_ have confirmed that in the upcoming season, premiering in three months, there will be a special guest star to spice things up!_

_That's right! For six episodes of this season, rising action star_ _James Conroy will be starring as new bad-boy in town, Ash Van Dyke who stirs things up in the small town and steals the heart of heroine, Melanie._

_Filming starts next week for the exciting new season which airs on October 12th! Mark your calendars and get ready for some juicy new plot twists._

Tawni and Sonny stared at the television with their jaws at the floor.

"Oh."

"My."

"God," they finished in unison.

"I can't believe it," Sonny uttered as she continued to stare in disbelief at the television screen.

"That jerk is coming back to the studio?!" Tawni screeched as she stood up in a huff.

"Well...maybe he'll just...avoid us. I mean...we did show him a lesson. Maybe he's changed? Or he just won't want to deal with the two girls who actually turned him down..." Sonny muttered, mostly to herself, trying to convince herself that James coming back was no big deal.

"I hope you're right. I don't feel like dealing with that....jerk ever again!"

Sonny chuckled. "I'm with you there. We have enough jerks around this place late..." She got cut off by her phone mooing. "...ly."

She took the phone out of her pocket and glanced at the caller id. Sonny rolled her eyes at what she saw. "Speak of the devil..." she dead panned as she answered the mooing object in her hand. "Hello?"

"Good!"

The line cut off and she put her phone back in her pocket.

She flashed Tawni an unsurprised smile paired with a roll of the eyes. "At least James never did _that._"

--

**A/N: Okay....kinda lame so far...BUT I'm just trying to set the scene for the story. It'll be between 5 and 15 chapters for those of you too lame to check out the page...**

**If you don't know who the "Good" was from then please, put down the mouse and walk away from the computer before you hurt yourself.**

**Anyhoo....umm....hope you didn't find it too bad and...please review! Much appreciated.**

**-Cheers, Ky ^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, sorry for the wait. (Of course it's not too much of a shocker that I'd take this long...) But ya know, I've rewatched seasons one through three of Supernatural, I've read, and, well, I've actually **_**slept**_**. Which is....weird for me. The sleeping, not the tv and reading. Anyhoo, on we go with the awesome!**

**...Sort of....**

**Read, Review, & Enjoy!**

--

Sonny got up from the table to leave the commisary after her lunch, but stopped dead in her tracks. She stood there silent, her mouth hanging open slightly, her eyes wide as ever.

"Hey Sonny." He flashed her a smirk, his eyes baring into her soul, but...subtly. He looked as though...as though he was genuinely happy to see her, but also planning something.

Even though she knew that he was going ot be at Condor Studios, she was still completely and utterly shocked at the sight of him.

"Umm....uhh...I--" She stuttered out a few syllables, trying to gather a coherent thought.

"Nice to see you too. Bye," He said with a wave as he brushed past her to get his lunch.

She stood there for a bit longer, lost in her own head until someone decided to try to get her out of it.

"Earth to Sonny! Helloooo Sonny!" She jumped and saw a hand waving in her face.

"Huh?"

"You were sorta spaced out there Monroe."

"Yeah...um...sorry. Hey Chad. I'm gonna...I'm gonna go," she uttered half-mindedly as she stumbled out of the commisary.

"...That was weird..." Chad said as he stared forward in the direction of where Sonny _had_ stood.

He walked forward toward the other end of the cafeteria to get his gourmet grub from Brenda. It took him till he heard his voice to realize who was standing next to him.

"Lovin' the hairnet Brenda. Is it new?" He spoke in a smooth, even voice.

"James?! What are you doing here?!?!"

"Getting...lunch? Isn't it kind of obvious?" He spoke as if it was one if the most obvious things in the world. (which it sort of was...)

"Yeah but....here?!"

"Yeeeah. I'm on _Hoosier Girl_ for a few episodes..."

Chad stood in front of him, his eyes reflecting thought, his teeth clenched, his hands contracted themselves into tight fists.

"So...how are things with you and Sonny?"

"We're fine," he said through his teeth, anger starting to flare in his eyes.

"We? Oh, so I take it that little _fake date_ of yours turned into something...real?"

"What?" That last sentence took him straight out of his haze of near fury, relaxing his body and sending shock straight across his face. "No. I...didn't mean we like...like that. Just like...every..one. We're all fine. Everyone from the Falls and Chuckle City. We're all fine and dandy. Never been better. So great we could dance." He rushed it all out, trying to save his own ass.

"Riiight. Whatever..." With that he turned and walked away with his lunch, leaving Chad the same way as Sonny had been. He turned back to Chad for a moment before finding a table. "Well, if there is no _we_ between the two of you, maybe I ought to try to win her back," he grinned to him. But Chad barely noticed what he had said.

"Boy, you gonna order something, or just stand there?"

"Uhhh....Umm...right...No." Chad stuttered out. He'd lost his appetite quickly and left the commisary. He meandered the halls, his mind still not focused.

He let out an 'oof' as he slammed into someone. "Umm....sorry," He mumbled as he started to walk off, his face conveying how lost and confused he was.

"Wait..." he heard as he felt a light tug on his arm, stopping him from going any further. "You alright?" The light, familiar voice pulled him back to reality.

"Oh...hey Sonny. Yeah. I'm fine," he shrugged off and tried to continue on but was met with her hand on his arm again.

"Really, Chad? Really? Cuz you seem sort of...out of it."

"Yeah just....surprised."

"Okay. I know how that feels," she uttered more to herself than anything else.

"Really now? Let me guess....Cocky action star? Brown hair? Leather jacket? About....yea tall?" He guessed as he motioned his hand to the approximate height of James.

"You talked to him to?"

"Mhmm."

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing much. Just how we were. Told me he was guest starring on _Hoosier Girl_." And then he finally registered the last thing that James had said to him.

"Oh. Alright. Umm.....bye, I guess," Sonny said, slightly awkwardly, before stalking off.

Chad watched her walking off, thinking of what James had said. ..._Win her back_...

_Greeeeaaaaat_.

--

**A/N: Alright, another crappy chapter. BUT I swear, it'll get better. You know, once things get rolling.**

**I'm betting you can guess how things'll go.**

**Well, tell me what you think. Bye. =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright....I haven't posted anything in...forever. I went on vacation with my family - out of the country, then I just chilled for my last week of the summer, and then came my first week of classes as a senior. And what do you know! My laptop decided to no longer function properly. Most programs don't work, my Wi-Fi is completely non-functioning and it won't turn off on its own. Luckily though, WordPad still works. And if you're reading this, then it decided to let me move things onto a flash drive or the Wi-Fi is suddenly working.**

**Well, here's hoping! And now for chapter three of **_**James With a Second Chance**_**.**

--

"Sonny....you have _got_ to be kidding me here!" Tawni shouted at her cast mate.

"Oh come on Tawni! I know he's a jerk, but James is still a person. And I'm not making any sort of promise or committment. I'm just saying that if he _proves_ he's changed, then I'll give him another chance."

_~~Flashback1~~_

Sonny had agreed to do a stage production of a mix of different pieces of classic literature - a Reader's Theatre. A bunch of actors got together and were each assigned various monologues and scenes from various plays. She had been sitting in a classy, high-ceilinged auditorium as she waited for all the other actors to shuffle in so that their first rehearsal could begin.

Miscellaneous unknown actors, as well as a few she recognized from their guest spots on various shows, all filed in and the director, who instructed them to call her Madame Greylund, sauntered onto the stage, looking down upon all of the young adults seated in the dark red-velvet upholstered theatre seats.

As the middle-aged woman blathered on about all of the stuff that she, and basically all the other thespians knew prior to the meeting, Sonny looked around to all of her cast mates and her face fell a bit as she realized that she was the only one that didn't actually know anyone there already.

And then she heard the door in the back of the theatre swing shut, going unnoticed by the director, seemingly too occupied by the sound of her own voice.

Sonny ignored it, and decided to turn her attention back to the woman on stage, confident in the fact that she'd make friends later on in the production. Then she felt a nudge on her shoulder. A very slight nudge. Nearly unnoticeable.

But it cam again. She felt like ignoring it, but, in case it would decide to persist, she turned. She gaped at what she saw.

In a hushed whisper, "James?!"

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"I overslept, got here a bit late."

"_Not_ what I _meant_," she growled.

He smirked, "I know."

She stared him down till he finally broke.

He sighed before he finally gave in and gave her an honest answer. "My agent called me, saying that he had a wonderful oportunity. When he told me what it actually was, I was a little hesitant, but he made a good point - all the great actors of modern years have had _some_ experience doing theatre, so I figured, 'why not?'"

Sonny let out a frustrated sigh. "Great," she mumbled under her breath.

"Look, I know you're not exactly _ecstatic_ to be working with me, but hey, maybe we won't have any scenes together." She hoped he was right, but caught something in his eye that worried her.

"Alright my lovely thespians! That is the conclusion of our informative meeting. I'll see you in two days, Thursday, 10:30AM on the dot for your role assignments and our first _official_ rehearsal! Good day! Now get out." She ended with a flat tone, a wide contrast to her previously perky attitude."

_~~End Flashback1~~_

_~~Flashback2~~_

Sonny had the rest of the day, after the informitive meeting, as well as Wednesday and Thursday off from _So Random!_ She spent her Wednesday doing househole chores - meaningless stuff that, while no fun and not too crucial, needed doing. On Thursday she got up at nine - two and a half hours later than she'd normally get up for _Random_ rehearsals.

She awoke with a smile and stretched her arms out wide as she felt the warm sun, seeping through her curtains, on her smooth, pale skin. She threw her covers aside and strode towards her bathroom, her apartment perfectly silent as it lacked the prescence of her mother.

She turned on the shower, letting it heat up as she grabbed clothes from her room to wear to rehearsal, and laying them on her bathroom counter, along with a big, warm, fluffy towel.

She climbed into her steaming shower and a grin spread across her lips as the warm water pounded onto her tense muscles. She had lost count of time while showering, so when she got out, it was already ten.

She stepped out and toweled off before glancing at the clock on the bathroom counter.

"Shoot!" She noticed that she was running later than expected and changed quickly, brushing her teeth simultaneously.

Still flossing, she prepared something to eat on the way to the theatre. As she toasted herself a cinammon waffle, she ran across to her room and pulled on a pair of socks and a pair of boots. She checked her watch as she pulled it on her wrist along with various other pieces of jewelry.

She barely had time to apply her quick layer of lip gloss, blush and eyeliner.

It took her fifteen minutes to bike to the theatre and the director preferred that they get there with time to spare.

It was eight past ten.

"Gah!" She screeched as she pulled the waffle from her toaster and ran out the door.

She was tense and worried the whole way to the studio.

"Hey Sonny. You look out of breath," James came up, walking behind her as she rushed from the door of the building, into the theatre, down towards the stage.

"Yeah. I was running late."

"Late? Sonny, it's twenty past. You're actually early..."

Her mouth fell open in frustrated shock. Since she was afraid she'd be late, she was biking faster than usual, eventing in her being early to rehearsal.

They reached a row of seats a comfortable distance from the stage.

"I guess I can rest easy then," she said, propping her feet up on the seat in front of her and slowly catching her breath again.

James started listening to his iPod and Sonny chose to read a book, as they waited for rehearsal to start.

They occassionally exchanged casual words until the director rampaged through the door.

Sonny quickly shot up, flung her feet off of the seat in front of her and slammed her book shut. James though, didn't notice her at all.

As the director came closer and closer, James was still sitting there, completely encompassed in his music.

"James! James!" Sonny kept trying to tell him she was coming, but he couldn't hear. Finally she just resorted to pulling out his headphones and wacking him in the chest.

"Hey!" he shouted at her. "What was that for?!"

She motioned past him to the director who was standing direcctly behind him now, looking at him with an unpleased look on her face.

He glanced up, then quickly turned back to Sonny, mouthing 'oh' to her, then turning back. "Good morning Ms Baron. How are you on this _lovely_ day."

"Just fine Mr Conrad," she answered in a smug tone and proceeded, straight onto the stage, clip board in hand.

She started spewing nonsense, causing Sonny to drift off and zone out.

She finally came to the role assignments. "Let's see...where to start..." Then she noticed Sonny not paying attention. "Ah...Ms Monroe. You will be reading _Annabel Lee_ by Edgar Allen Poe, Puck's monologue from _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, and you will be Newt in _A Long Walk to Forever_. Now come get your scripts."

"Right. Awesome. Thanks," she said meekly as she snatched her scripts from Madame Greylund, then turned and walked dejectedly back to her seat next to James.

Greylund listed off all the others names, handing them their scripts as they reached the stage. The whole while, Sonny looked over her lines, wondering who would be the narrators and the love interest, Caraline, in the dialogue for which she'd been cast. She was so involved in her thoughts that she had payed no mind to anyone else's role assignments. She was only brought out of her stupor when James said her name.

"Hey Sonny," he grinned in a casual greeting, his voice causing her to jump. "Did you hear what I got?"

"Uh...no," she said, sounding somewhat embarrased. "I...wasn't really paying attention."

She could see a slight grin slip across his face, despite his trying to hide it. "I'm playing Caraline in _A Long Walk to Forever_."

"Oh, okay. So...we're in a scene together?"

James could barely contain his amusement. "You haven't read it through, have you?"

"No...why?"

"I play your love interest." He paused, examining every millimeter of her clueless face before continuing on. "There's a kiss."

The realization was obvious on her face. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell agape, and her breath hitched in her lungs.

Noticing that she wasn't likely to say anything anytime soon out of pure shock, James let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry Sonny. It's just acting. I realize that you have no romatic interest in me at all." He maintained his sunny exposure, but Sonny could tell from his eyes that that last part probably sent a pang of heartbreak through him.

"James," Sonny started, a hint of sympathy in her level voice. "I'm sorry but...you hurt me. And more importantly, you hurt Tawni. I think you can see why I'm hesitant when it comes to trusting you."

James turned his whole body to her and gently layed his hands on hers. Sonny felt a rush of...something she couldn't identify go through her body. She looked down to their hands in pure confusion.

James tilted her chin up with a light touch and looked her dead in the eyes. "Sonny, I've changed. And I know you probably don't believe me, but please...Let me show you."

Her lips parted ever so slightly - as if she wanted to say something but changed her mind immediately. She softly chewed her lower lip, feeling somewhat akward and not as hesitant as she'd like.

"Please Sonny - give me a second chance. If I can't show you by the last night of the production then...so be it, I'll walk away and you'll never have to speak to me again. But if I _can_..."

"Okay." She cut him off, accepting his challenge.

"Alright my thespians!" Their conversation was cut short by Madame Greylund's booming, cheery voice. "This concludes this meeting. Learn your lines!! Next time you will all be doing cold readings!"

With that, they all stood and grabbed their belongings, idle chatter emminating through the auditorium as they shuffled towards the exits.

James turned back to Sonny, with a small, honest smile as he said, in almost a whisper, "Thank you Sonny. You won't regret it."

He turned and walked out, leaving Sonny standing on her own, shocked with him, _and_ herself.

"Move along Ms Monroe. I can't lock up until all of you leave." Greylund called Sonny out of her daze.

"Yes Madame Greylund," she responded politely as she speedily headed out, her bag slung hurriedly over her shoulder.

~~_End Flashback2_~~

--

**So yeah, my computer's alive again. Including internet. Still not at his best, but better than he was. Ah, the wonder of a system restore. :) It also didn't help that I got **_**completely**_** stuck, like, halfway through. Then today I spontaneously got inspired. (Quite possibly due to the fact that the deadline is midnight and it's a weekend so school isn't looming over my head as much...)**

**So yeah, deadline for this contest is steadily approaching. Wish me luck!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So yeah, don't kill me if these following chapters suck. They're sort of written on the fly...I mean, yeah, I already knew what I was going to do with things, but still. Also, well....they won't be any better than anything else I write. But hey, I'm not really writing this to win Dancing On Rainbows' contest, I'm doing it to participate and because the contest sort of...inspired me. So yeah, read on. Hope you like it!Oh, and this chapter has some Channy. :)**

**Credit: to TrinityFlower of Memories for the mirroring activity! 3 It...should be in this chapter. Depends on how I decide to split it...**

--

With three days till her next reader's theatre rehearsal and a two hour break from filming, Sonny Monroe sat on the chaise in her dressing room, reading over her first monologue - Poe's poem _Annabel Lee_.

"_It was many and many a year ago,_

_In a kingdom by the sea,_

_That a maiden there lived whom you may know_

_By the name of Annabel Lee;_

_And this maiden she lived with no other thought_

_Than to love and be loved by me,_" she read aloud.

"And I was a child, and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea." She jumped, startled by the new voice behind her, and turned to see who it was. That person started walking towards her as they continued the second stanza of Poe's poem of a lost love. "But we loved with a love that's more than love, I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me." The voice was smooth, even, and well known - not only to her, but to everyone who had an ounce of cultural literacy.

"Chad?"

He gave his signature, coy little smirk. "Hey Monroe."

"...You know Poe?"

"Yeah, believe it or not, behind this pretty face is a deep and well read soul. So," He veered the conversation away from himself, surprising as it may be. "Why are _you_ reading it?"

Sonny sighed, somewhat frustrated - with her situation, not the hearththrob now leaning on the arm of the chaise, his body heat and subtle, inviting aroma lulling her into a sense of euphoria that she was fighting dearly. "I'm doing this reader's theatre thing. A bunch of local stage, screen, and unknown actors are all doing it to raise money for a good cause."

"...You _do_ realize that this poem was written from the point of view of a dude, right?"

"Yeah. Madame Greylund wanted to set this apart from past productions, so she decided to switch the genders for the roles. The guys play girls and the girls play guys."

"Huh..." he said, seeming to mull it over. "That's...interesting." sonny couldn't read what he was thinking - if he actually found it interesting, was still trying to grasp the concept, or if he was just giving her a cookie-cutter response so as to not seem rude.

"Oh, you haven't heard the _real_ interesting part yet." Chad looked up, the tone of her voice inducing genuine curiosity which spread across his entire face. His silence cued her to continue on. "Along with this, and Puck's monologue from the end of _Midsummer Night's Dream_, I'm in a scene called _A Long Walk to Forever_."

Chad's head tilted every so slightly, his shining golden tresses flitting out to the side. "Am I supposed to know what that is?"

Sonny let out a light, involuntary chuckle. "No, I guess not. I didn't really know it either. But I read it over. I have a love interest, Catharine. And there's a kiss."

"Alright, then just do it. It's just acting."

"Yeah...that's not the problem."

"Okay...then what is?"

"James."

"...What about him?" Chad questioned, still not getting it.

"He's also part of the production. And...he's playing Catharine."

Chad started laughing, but Sonny thought she saw something, a very small something - a glimmer of worry - in his eye.

She sighed - a mix of disappointment, shame, and worry.

"Okay, enough laughing," she warned as she playfully hit him in the arm with her scripts. "Wait...I almost forgot - why are you here?"

"Oh, me? Well...Ummm. I just..." chad stalled, looking at his watch. "Oh hey! Look at the time! Gotta go. See you later Monroe." He jogged out of the room hurriedly.

Sonny just sat on the chaise, blinking in confusion.

She sunk into her seat, layed back with her arm shielding her eyes and sighed. "Men."

--

**Okay, that's the end of that chapter. Short, I know. But I should have another, and quite likely one more after that up soon.**

**Not too eventful so far, but still. This is going to be a relatively light one. Not too much drama. A...fair amount of Channy.**

**So yeah, hope you liked. Imma go back to writing so I can get more chapters up.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay! Here comes chapter five! There's....a lapse in time from the last chapter. Just...skips ahead to the next rehearsal. Here comes acting warmups and bonding routines! And this is where the credit is due to TrinityFlower of Memories. :) Hope you likies!!**

--

Before the director had her "beloved thespians" start the reading of the scripts, she had them do acting excercises.

The first was the mirror. She told them all to split into pairs, and they obliged.

Since Sonny had not become accquainted with any of her cast mates in the previous two rehearsals, despite her sunny demeanor and outgoing personality, she had no other choice than James.

"Alright young'uns! Many of you probably know how to do this activity, but for those of you who don't - one of you will lead the other, who has to copy the leader. But not only do you have to copy, you have to do your best to make it so that the observers have difficulty figuring out who is the leader. Make your movements as synchronized as possible. Have fun!" Her dramatic voice boomed out the instructions enthusiastically despite that she'd likely given these instructions time and time again.

"Alright," James promulgated as he walked up to Sonny. "I'll be the..._leader_. You ready?" He smirked with his question and sent shivers down her spine. _What is he thinking?_

They staked out a small part of the stage that the whole cast was standing upon, downstage, stage left. "I'm always ready." **(A/N: ...Okay, somewhat cheesy line but...meh.)**

They started out with the simple hand motions that most people do in this situation. James then progressed them to more active actions - small steps in one direction or the other and things of the sort.

Then Sonny caught a glint in his eye - a murderously intimidating glint and she automatically knew what he was thinking.

_It's James Conroy. This had to have come sooner or later._

She readied herself for his next action. She leaned forward in time with him, crouching towards the ground, moving into an almost ball, continually leaning forward.

Finally her legs lifted off the ground in an amateur attempt at James' signature tuck and roll.

James, as would be expected of him, did it without flaw - a lfuid motion, ending in him springing back to his feet. Sonny wasn't as experienced...or lucky. She rolled too far and sent herself flying off the front of the stage, landing flat on her back on the floor below.

A chorus of gasps flooded the auditorium as her cast mates all ran down the stairs at either side of the stage to rush over and make sure if she was okay - except for James. Much to her surprise, he leapt off of the stage effortlessly and within moments was at her side, kneeling, lifting her head off the ground and laying it on his leg. "Sonny," her eyes droopy, the pain obvious on her face. Genuine concern wavered his voice. "Are you alright?!"

Before she could form any determinable words, she let out an involuntary moan.

"Sonny?"

"...Ow."

James' angular face spread into a smile of legitimate relief that took over his face and brightened him.

She opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. "No-no-no-no," James ushered her as he gently layed her head back down. "Be careful. Don't want to sit up to quickly."

"Alright lovelies," Greylund chimed in. "I believe now would be a good time to start our reading. Everyone! Get in a circle in front of the stage. Ms Monroe," she spoke directly to Sonny now. "It's best that you have a spot where you can lean back on the front of the stage." Now she turned to James. "Mr Conroy, please assist Ms Monroe to the front of the stage. And fetch her scripts please." Finally, she spoke once more to the whole group. "Go! all of you! Fetch your scripts! Find a seat in the circle. We're going to do our monologues first. Then we'll do dialogues, then more monologues."

James, quietly, for once, did as he was told - gently, and very carefully helping Sonny to sit in front of the stage, then jogging over to grab both their scripts, and returning to take a seat to her left.

Sonny gave a delicate half smile to him and gave a near silent, "Thankyou."

His only response was his own subtle smile.

"Well, Ms Monroe, you already have our attention, so let's start with your first monologue. Everyone," She bellowed, so as to bring attention from Sonny to herself, at least momentarily. "This first monologue is a poem composed by well-known American gothic writer, Edgar Allen Poe. Now, he suffered many a death when it came to the people he loved, which proved as perfect inspiration for this poem in which the narrator speaks of an undying love, which is then torn down when she dies. Please, give your utmost attention to Ms Monroe as she reads _Annabel Lee_.

Sonny nervously cleared her throat and took a look around the entire circle before her eyes settled on James, who gave her a reassuring smile, melting the ice of fear that was lumped in her throat; a smile that told her she'd do fine, and urged her to go on.

She took a deep breath and began. "It was many and many a year ago, in a kindom by the sea, that a maiden there lived who you may know, by the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought than to love and be loved by me." She spoke in perfect rhythm - smooth, with only a slight, barely noticeable waver to her voice, only caused by the embarassment of tumbling off the stage.

She took a pause before beginning the next stanza, remembering three days ago when Chad waltzed into her dressing room, revealing his unknown knowledge of classic literature. "And I was a child and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that's more than love - I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me."

She continued the rest of the poem, her mind not even remotely focused on it, yet reciting it perfectly, as if it were reflex.

Instead her mind focused on Chad. "And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee." Chilling...

Everytime their flesh touched, their hands met, that's what she felt - a chill. Not a spark. Not...not like the warm feeling she had gotten at the last rehearsal as James touched her hands, asking for another chance. _Maybe I really _do_ hate Chad..._"So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea."

She always felt shut up, shut down, shut back, whenever she dealt with Chad. Like something in her was telling her to stay away - like she wasn't worthy, it wasn't safe, he was tainted, all at once. "The angels, not half so happy in heaven, went envying her and me - Yes! - that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

"But out love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we - Of many far wiser than we - And neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee." _Whatever i feel for Chad...I never..._She couldn't even finish the thought. She couldn't bare to think of her life without Chad. She couldn't go back to not knowing him. Even if she did _really_ hate him, he was part of her life. It wouldn't be the same if her wasn't in it...

"For the moon never beam without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;" _Eyes....those eyes..._Not only did she feel a chill at the touch of his smooth flesh, she felt the same looking at his clear, sparkling, ocean blue eyes. They chilled her soul. Chilled it so it halted to a near stop. All other thought left her mind, and, for however long, all other emotions drifted away, even if to just come flooding back after she had warmed again. "And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side, Of my darling - my darling - my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea."

The group was silent. Sonny's voice had faded to nearly a whisper, full of emotion and thought and wonder, her gaze empty, eerie. They were all sitting, watching, listening in amazement and making sure they could hear.

They all stayed silent for a long moment afterward, silently, mentally deciphering the impact, and hidden, personal meaning that Sonny unintentionally bled into the poem.

Finally the silence was broken. "Very nice Ms Monroe. Wonderful portrayal of the emotion intended by the author. Alright....hmm..." she thought of which direction to go in after Sonny's monologue. "Ms Malone! Your monologue!"

Sonny payed little attention to the following monologues. She simply layed her head on James' shoulder, practically drifting off, but making somewhat of an effort to seem attentive.

She could feel as Hypnos teased at her eyes, causing them to droop and drift to a close. Then a sudden thought occured to her. _No! I can't fall asleep! I hit my head! I could have a concussion!! Noo!!_

Much to her luck, her eyes suddenly jerked open as James nudged her side with his elbow and whispered, loud enough for her to hear, but to go unnoticed by Madame Greylund. "Be careful not to fall asleep Sonny.

She was now more awake - still somewhat drowsy, but the sort where you've woke up to some sort of external stimulus that has made your body wary of more sleep, so no matter how hard you may try, you'll still be awake.

She still payed no mind to the other actors, even as it came to James. As she thought about it, sh actually had no idea what James' monologues were - she hadn't cared to ask. All she knew of was his role in _A Long Walk to Forever_ opposite her...

_Maybe I should pay attention..._

But just as quickly as the thought formed in her head, it was expelled by Madame Greylund's voice flooding the air of the entire room.

"Well done Mr Conroy, everyone. now for our dialogues. I have highlited porions of each of your scenes so we're not sitting here for an unbearably long while. Still want to have time for everyone's final monologues!!"

She handed everyone out a page with an excerpt from their assigned dialogues, covered in bright yellow lines.

It was not until this point that Sonny had learned who were the narrators in the scene with her and James.

"First up! _A Long Walk to Forever_! We have Sonny Monroe as Newt, James Conroy as Caraline, and Lila Farris and Pippa Fisher as our narrators!! On you go then!"

They read a short excerpt from the piece, in which both narrators and Sonny and James could speak.

It was a simple concept, the story. Two childhood friends, one comes back form war, the other engaged. They take a walk, catch up, and deal with the fact the Newt loves Caraline, but she denies her love for him because of her engagement. They are doomed lovers, cofounding factors holding them apart. It's sad really...

But Sonny paid no mind to the emotion behind it. She just read, paid attention to her lines like a good little actress - no mind wandering off to personal woes, that don't even deserve woeful thoughts. She managed to keep her mind securely set on the piece. Yet...not quite. It's not on something else, but it's not entirely...there. She's somewhat empty.

It's as if she's a young child, thinking of philosophy for the very first time. '_Why are we here? Are we simply some higher being's play things? _Are_ we even here? Or are we simply...whispers in the wind of reality? Fragments of what may be, what has been, what could have been, or what could be?_'

A hollow, helpless, useless feeling.

She shook it off, mentally, as James read the last line of their piece and Madame Greylund applauds, signifying her approval. Likely to prevent herself from blathering on about what exactly she thought of it, wasting everyone's time, including her own. She simply introduced the next scene and its actors.

It was a shorter excerpt, from a shorter piece. With only three actors. A girl and her betrothed visit her mother who she has barely spoken to. The girl and her mother fight as the young man tries to intervene, change the subject, provide solutions, but they cannot agree on anything, they just bicker. The girl complaining about how, because of her mother, her life is far from ideal. The only thing gone right is her betrothed.

Somewhat stereotypical in places, unhappy as well. So far, from what Sonny observed, very little of these have been jovial. Though, she cannot say for certain because of her lack of attention to the majority of the monologues.

Two more dialogues proceeded, one with two persons, the other with three. Sonny had to fight herself to pay attention.

Her mind kept nearly reeling back to the thought from earlier, but immediately veering to...nothing. Her mind remained mostly empty of thought for the duration of the rehearsal excpet for rare moment, mostly when she'd been called on to read.

The dialogues finished and Madame Greylund instructed them to go to the next ring of monologues. This time she started with James, going left, leaving Sonny for last, as Madame Greylund said, "...it will be in the final production."

Though Sonny didnot notice, James glances down to the shell of the usually perky girl laying her head on his muscular shoulder every so often.

One or two people in the circle noticedthe worry on his face, but paid it no mind. Passing it off as just concern for her health - him hoping she has not sustained a head injury of some sort, perhaps a head injury. But that was not the cause of his worry. He'd never seen her this way. No one has. Not even she has seen herself this way. It's new to her.

Accompanying a new thought.

The thought that had drifted into her mind as she read the poem.

The thought that...she might actually hate Chad.

The thought that she's been avoiding, trying to avoid complete realization that it is true.

Finally the circle came to a stop with her once more. She was to read her farewell monologue. A classic from a Shakespeare play.

The perfect way to end a night of merriment. A night of lighthearted souls - actors. Those who seem...not quite human. More than human. beyond the reach of us _mere mortals_.

Sonny shot to attention, more attentive then she's been in over an hour.

She licked her lips as she first thinks over the first two lines of the monologue - ensuring that she's prepared to recite it properly.

This time, she pays full attention to the lines - reciting them from memory. A memory of reading the play, and watching the movie with Kevin Kline. Happy memories. Ones that perked her up from her solemn demeanor she'd been exhibiting all rehearsal.

"If we shadows have offended," she started in the most confident and "with it" voice she's used the whole rehearsal. "Think but this; and all is mended. That you have but slumbered here, while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme no more yielding but a dream. Gentles--do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. And, as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearned luck. Now to scape the serpents tongue. We will make amends ere long, else the Puck a liar call. So--goodnight unto you all. Give me your hands if we be friends. And Robin shall restore amends."

She drew out the last two lines, adding perfect, precise emphasis. It's a monologue she's known by heart, has for a long while, and loves as much as anything else.

Of course this would perk up her mood. It's from a play that has been her favorite since the fourth grade. And to be honest, she could think of no better way to end the show.

--

**Alright, so...yeah. This ones longer. I **_**think**_** it's the longest chapter I've had. And...well, I've not managed to finish by the midnight deadline, but I'm still going to continue this story. I've really gotten into the flow of it.**

**It got a little more....I dunno, dismal than I'd been expecting. And I managed to switch tenses somewhere in the middle. Like, the paragraph hat starts with "but Sonny paid no mind to..." Yeah....that's where it switched. So I went back and changed things the best I could without making the wording sound awkward.**

**Well, hope you liked it! Please review! I'll work on chapter six tomorrow. There's a decent shot it'll be up tomorrow afternoon.**

**And there should be Channy in it. :)**


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